Country music star Blake Shelton was in Gatlinburg Wednesday to celebrate the grand opening of his restaurant and music venue, Ole Red.
Shelton began performing onstage at the new Gatlinburg venue around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
You can watch that concert via the YouTube live stream here:
Ryman Hospitality Properties' Opry Entertainment division worked with Shelton to bring Ole Red to Gatlinburg and held a ticket raffle to his on-stage performance to raise money to help a new generation of musicians.
In the end, they raised $54,214 -- which will go to Gatlinburg-Pittman High School's music program.
"We asked the fans to go ahead and bid on a bunch of tickets that we had reserved for the benefit of the school, and we were fortunate enough that the fans came out with their heart and wallet to contribute to it. I think we're going to make an impact on the school," Scott Bailey from Opry Entertainment Group said.
Shelton said he couldn't be happier that Ole Red had arrived in Gatlinburg.
"To be in here and see it and experience it is unbelievable. I love Gatlinburg, it's got a different feel to it than anywhere I've been," Shelton said. "These fans have been so good to me over the years."
The week-long 'Spring Blake' event continues until March 17 at Ole Red with Blake-approved performances from former contestants of NBC's 'The Voice," including Knoxville-native Emily Ann Roberts.
- March 14: Lauren Duski
- March 15: Pryor Baird
- March 16: Red Marlow
- March 17: Emily Ann Roberts